SJCE Launches Two New Renewable Generation Projects

In April, SJCE signed two new long-term agreements with developer Terra-Gen for more than 162 megawatts (MW) of new solar plus battery storage. The projects will be built in Kern County, California by the end of 2022. Together, the projects will produce enough renewable electricity to power nearly 79,000 homes and have the same climate impact as taking 1.3 million cars off the road.

Contracting for new, cost-competitive long-term power purchase agreements helps SJCE  add new renewable generation resources to the California grid and reduces energy procurement costs by taking advantage of historic low prices for wind and solar power.

You can watch this video to learn more about the project.

SJCE’s procurement team is working hard on future projects to help SJCE deliver cleaner, cheaper power to its customers.

May Rate Change: Generation, Distribution, PCIA

In March, PG&E submitted to the Public Utilities Commission two important rate-setting advice letters for 2020, the Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) and the Annual Electric True-up (AET). ERRA is a projection for 2020 expenses, and AET is the review of the actual expenses for 2019. For customers, this has some important effects:

• PG&E’s generation rates dropped on average 0.5%.
• PG&E’s distribution rates had increases averaging 4.4% across energy and demand for E19(S,P), E20P, and A10(S,P).
• The Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) increased between 14% and 24%, depending on rate class. To see the specific rate and PCIA changes download  SJCE's Full Info Memo to the City Council.
• Effective May 1, SJCE adjusted its rates down to maintain its 1% discount compared to PG&E, including the PCIA

Important Date Change for New Time-of-Use Rates

PG&E’s new time-of-use (TOU) business  “B” rates will become mandatory March 2021, four months later than previously announced. SJCE will offer its own parallel “B” rates and will follow the same voluntary opt-in and mandatory enrollment periods.

In addition to new TOU time periods, the new B rates also have different summer/winter periods. For a standard TOU E-19 rate, for example, summer is May 1 through October 31 and the rest of the year is winter. For the new TOU B-19 rate, summer is June 1 through September 30. So in addition to a later peak period, the new TOU rates have a shorter summer period by two months.

Many customers might be able to optimize their savings by switching to the new B rates now through October 2020, then switching back to the old TOU structure (“E-rates”) in November, until the new B-rates become mandatory in March 2021. You can use the online PG&E rate comparison tool to evaluate this option.

Sign up for City of San José COVID Alerts

The City of San José emergency notifications are a good resource for information on the local COVID-19 response and updates on the County shelter-in-place orders. You can sign up for the alerts and find an archive of previous alerts here.

Upcoming Webinar on Electric Vehicle Charging Station Rebates

As part of the California Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (CALeVIP), $14 million in funding from the California Energy Commission and SJCE for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at commercial, workplace, public facilities, fleets, and multi-unit dwellings in San José will become available in fall 2020. This will double the current level of EV charging infrastructure.

Join SJCE and experts from the Center for Sustainable Energy, California Energy Commission, and regional partner organizations for our upcoming webinar. We’ll provide an overview of the project, including funding, rebate amounts, and eligibility.

Webinar: Requirements for the Peninsula-Silicon Valley Incentive Project 
Wednesday, June 23 
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
Register Today

Read our press release or visit CALeVIP.org for more information about the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project.